weird AC issue

lincolnshibuya · #1 08-05-2018, 07:22 PM

guys my 2001 x5 3.0i suddenly stopped blowing air on the front. AC works because I could feel the cold air coming out from the rear vents, just not enough air flowing out from the front. It's weird because the AC control panel all lights up and appears to be working, it's just that when you press the 3 directional buttons it doesn't appear to have any effect. Is there a self test I could do to figure out if it's a vent motor issue?

Zulu95 · #2 08-05-2018, 10:12 PM

Usually fan problems are in the Final Stage Resistor (Hedgehog) buried in behind the center consul. (Try a search. Should be a how to in Articles or on YT.)
However a few have had to replace the blower fan and that is a real pain as the whole dash has to come out by all accounts.
Finally some have had problems with the head unit and had to repair or replace it.

lincolnshibuya · #3 08-05-2018, 10:21 PM

Not really sure if it's the FSR because it works fine after a while as if nothing happened. It happened to me twice now. It looks like the head unit is bad, could be temp related like when it's really hot (above 95 degree weather)
I tried looking at the wiring diagram and if the FSR bad should the rear vent not blow air at all? in this case the rear is working fine and the front servo motors seems all closed.

upallnight · #4 08-06-2018, 08:55 AM

So you think the blower motor is out? Have you tested it for Power and Ground? Have you checked the fuse?

lincolnshibuya · #5 08-06-2018, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by upallnight

So you think the blower motor is out? Have you tested it for Power and Ground? Have you checked the fuse?

it's not the blower or fuse because things are working fine after a few hours. Can't figure out what triggers this weird issue but it only happens when it's too hot (duh you need ac when it's hot)

Is it possible for the FSR to partially work/fail? On my e46 when the FSR failed it's just dead silent, no blower activity/noise at all. In my x5 when this happens the vents are just not blowing air (as if the vents are closed) yet the blower still runs fine and changes when I adjust the speed. The only vent that works is in the rear.

upallnight · #6 08-06-2018, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lincolnshibuya

it's not the blower or fuse because things are working fine after a few hours. Can't figure out what triggers this weird issue but it only happens when it's too hot (duh you need ac when it's hot)

Is it possible for the FSR to partially work/fail? On my e46 when the FSR failed it's just dead silent, no blower activity/noise at all. In my x5 when this happens the vents are just not blowing air (as if the vents are closed) yet the blower still runs fine and changes when I adjust the speed. The only vent that works is in the rear.

Anything is possible. You could have a bad blower motor in which there is a dead spot on the armature. Just driving around could rotate the motor off the dead spot and the blower is working again until it stops at the dead stop again.

nigeyboy · #7 08-06-2018, 01:36 PM

I’ve replaced FSRs on 2 X5 I’ve had. Both times it fixed the problem. The fan & AC just work completely randomly when they’re faulty. For the price of one, and an hour scrabbling around under the dash that’s where I’d start, even if you think it won’t cure it.

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